


Havana

by My_Trex_has_fleas



Series: Folie A Deux [13]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Return to Treasure Island (TV 1996)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Cuba, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Murder Husbands, cocktails and shopping and dancing oh my
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-05-09 10:35:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14714429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas
Summary: All work and no play make for very dull time. Good thing this is a working holiday.UNFINISHED





	1. Havana Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eternally_Lost_in_Sorrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternally_Lost_in_Sorrow/gifts).



The air was thick with humidity and Ross’ shirt stuck to his back. The sun was almost blinding and the sky was so blue it hurt to look at it, but he was all smiles. It wasn’t every day that he got to spend a week lying around the pool of an exclusive hotel in Havana while Jim did what he coyly referred to as some public relations work, with a little job on the side .

When he’d first mentioned the trip, Ross had actually laughed because it was something he associated with company executives rather than organised crime, but apparently they enjoyed the occasional corporate get together as much any executive, although the people Jim and the others were meeting were more likely to be toting automatic weapons than briefcases.

He stole a glance at his husband. Jim was dressed for the heat in light khakis and a white cotton shirt with his sleeves rolled up, boat shoes and black wayfarers giving him an insouciance that made him look like one of the rich yachties that packed the harbour. They had sailed over from Miami, and Ross had been delighted when Jim had decided on a spontaneous re-enacting of that first voyage they had taken together. He still had bruises scattered across his olive skin and he’d smiled like an idiot when he’s spotted them that morning.

They were staying at the Gran Hotel Manzana, right off the harbour in the historic district. It was a grand hotel, built in the 18th century and oozing colonial chic. Ross was not surprised to discover it was Diego who’d organised the accommodation, more than likely under Estefania’s directions. They were not the only ones joining them with Flint and Silver coming from the west coast where they were currently meeting with a distributor and due to fly in the following day. Diego and Estefania were already at the hotel, and when Jim flagged down a taxi to take them there, Ross grinned at the thought of what he and Estefania would be getting up to while their respective husbands were talking shop. There had been a lot of messaging regarding that particular topic and Estefania had informed Ross of the numerous shops that they would be visiting over the coming week.

Jim opened the door for him and handed across their bags to the driver to put in the trunk. Ross smiled, settling into the back of the vintage car and looking out the windows as they drove through the streets to the hotel. When it came into view, he was delighted to see it lived up to its name with a magnificent Belle Epoque facade lined with windows.

‘There’s a rooftop pool.’ Jim was smiling at him, his face knowing. ‘With a bar that makes more cocktails than you can bat your eyelashes at.’

‘Great.’ Ross was almost vibrating with excitement. ‘I’ll have something to do while you’re being all professional.’

Jim snorted a laugh and then spoke to the driver in Spanish, getting a reply at length before he pulled in to the space in front of the hotel. They got out and an overly attentive porter had their bags out the taxi in a second. Jim immediately moved to take his from him and Ross grinned, knowing why.  
The porter grumbled a little, but it was mitigated by the hefty tip Jim gave him in compensation and they walked inside. It was beautifully cool, the marble flooring and the air conditioning doing their jobs. Jim went straight to the front desk, addressing the young woman on duty. She replied and Ross tried to follow what they were saying. His Spanish had imporved enormously since he’d met Jim, but he was less confident in using it and was happy to let Jim take the lead just as Jim allowed him to do when they were in France.

The young woman handed Jim their key cards and directed them to their room. Jim thanked her and Ross trotted after him, falling into step beside him as they headed for the lifts.

‘Diego and Estefania are on the same floor as us.’ he said. ‘And it seems that Ritchie and Shandra have come along for the party.’ he grinned. ‘It’s turning into a little bit of a family reunion.’

‘Oh good.’ Ross was delighted. He and Shandra were now thick as thieves, exchanging daily messages, weekly calls and cackling at their respective other halves. ‘I think you might have to actually keep yourself entertained this week of that’s the case. We’re going to be too busy drinking.’

‘Really?’ Jim asked and rounded on him as the lift doors closed, one hand sliding under Ross’ shirt and over his sweat drenched skin, making him shiver. ‘Because I think I might be able to distract you.’

‘Only if you bring me pina coladas every five minutes.’ Ross countered but he moved into Jim’s arms easily and the glanced down at Jim’s nag, now lying on the floor. ‘Should you be leaving that just lying around?’

‘It’s fine.’ Jim was moving into his space, light eyes intent. ‘You have a hickey on your collar bone. The reception girl asked me if you like it rough so I told her you’re shameless slut for it.’

Ross laughed, tipping his head so Jim could see the mark in question.

‘You did not.’ He was smiling so hard his cheeks ached. For all his complaining about the heat, it certainly made Jim horny.

‘I did.’ Jim now had both hands on his backside, pulling Ross in against him. ‘I think I might have to fuck you before we go find everyone.’

‘Now who’s the slut.’ Ross snorted, but he let jim back him up against the mirrored wall and kiss him, insistent and deep enough to have Ross melting against him. He whined a little and the hands squeezed hard enough to make him yelp. Jim smiled at him, dimples mock innocent.

‘We might not even make it to the room.’ He was moving one hand, sliding it around to the front of Ross’ shorts. ‘I might just get you off here.’

Ross wrapped his arms around Jim’s shoulder and kissed his nose.

‘You can try.’ he said with an arched eyebrow and Jim got a feral look in his eyes, making Ross’ pulse spike automatically. His hand tightened, the increase in pressure making Ross thrust up into his hand.

There was a soft ding as the door opened and then a shriek loud enough to shatter glass spit the air in the lift and Jim was unceremoniously shoved out the way as Ross ended up with his arms full of Shandra.

‘Baby!’ Her dark eyes were sparkling. ‘You’re here!’

‘Yes I am.’ Ross embraced her back with enthusiasm. ‘This is going to be stupid amounts of fun.’ Then he remembered he had the beginnings of a hard-on and tried to push her back, but she was having none of it. In fact she actually cackled in his ear.

‘You getting a head start?’ she snickered.

‘Trying to.’ Jim sounded unimpressed. ‘Get off my fucking husband, Shandra. You’ve got your own.’

‘Bitch.’ Shandra said over her shoulder but she let Ross go and he got a good look at her. She was resplendent in a hot pink and fiery orange striped kaftan, the silk so fine as to be transparent. Underneath she had on a black bikini that left very little to the imagination and the entire ensemble was set off by about four pounds of gold jewelry and matching stiletto sandals. Ritchie seemed to be channeling Miami Vice in a white linen suit with a matching hot pink shirt that actually suited him very well. His tan was almost mahogany, dark hair slicked back. Ross saw Jim roll his eyes at him and laughed, going over to give Ritchie hug.

‘It’s good to see you, bro.’ Ritchie said, all brilliant smiles. ‘Both of you.’ He kept his arm around Jim as they walked up the corridor together. ‘This is going to be like old times, huh?’

‘You mean me saving your ass from you doing something stupid?’ Jim asked, his tone playful. Ross knew better though and he could pick up the tiny tells that Jim had and which showed Ross that he was not as comfortable with them being there as he was letting on. He disliked unexpected arrivals, especially when part of the reason he was here was also to do a job.

‘So we’re down the hall from the old folks.’ Ritchie was saying.

‘And this is us.’ Jim replied, stopping outside their room. ‘Look , we are going to get settled but we can do lunch.’

‘Great.’ Ritchie held out an arm and Shandra stepped into it. ‘Mami is out shopping and she took the old man with her so I’ll text them and tell them to come back and we can all eat together.’

‘Cool.’ Ross grinned. ‘It’ll be great to catch up.’

‘Yeah.’ Jim had the door open. ‘Now get your ass inside.’

Shandra gave Ross a knowing look as he walked into the room, saying something in Spanish that got a bark of laughter from Ritchie and then Jim telling them both off. He kicked the door shut behind him and came into the room, looking smug at the way Ross was looking around him.

‘This is a classy place.’ he smiled and Jim laughed.

‘Not for long.’ He dumped his bag on the floor. ‘Take your clothes off.’

‘You could at least let me look around.’ Ross said, but his fingers were already at his buttons.

‘Yeah, right.’ Jim snorted and shoved him onto the bed. An hour later they were in the shower, washing away the evidence of the extremely diverting activities that had kept them occupied.

Ross hummed under his breath as Jim washed his back for him, luxuriating in the way his strong hands kneaded the muscles that ran along his spine. He was pleasantly sore, the ache in his body very satisfying. He half wanted to insist on a nap when they got out, but Jim was in that weirdly energised state he got into after he’d fucked Ross’ arse into the bed, and so he was brisk in getting them cleaned up and out the shower in under twenty minutes.

They were just getting dressed when the hotel phone rang and Jim went to answer it.

‘Hi.’ His tone was familiar and Ross knew it was probably Diego. ‘Yeah, we’re ready. Where? Okay, see you in five.’ He put the phone down and kept doing up his shirt. ‘Diego and Estefania are in the San Cristobal waiting for us.’

‘Okay.’ Ross gave himself a quick once over to check he looked his best and then went over, dropping a quick kiss at the corner of Jim’s mouth. ‘You’re still going to leave that there?’ He looked at Jim’s bag and Jim snorted with laughter.

‘If it’s making you nervous, I can ask Diego to hang onto it.’ he said and Ross shook his head.

‘Just put it in the damn wardrobe.’ he replied. ‘We don’t want the staff finding it.’

‘They wouldn’t say anything if they did.’ Jim countered. ‘It’s called discretion.’

‘It’s called making me feel better.’ Ross retorted and Jim rolled his eyes at him and went to put the bag in the wardrobe as instructed.

‘Happy?’ he asked and Ross nodded and held out a hand.

‘Now I am.’ He laced his fingers through Jim’s. ‘It’s bad enough knowing you’re going to be taking someone out, but that thing is just…’ He gave an exaggerated shiver.

‘You cut people up for fun but you object to me having a firearm in the room?’ Jim was smiling, dimples out.

‘I don’t like guns.’ Ross snorted and Jim got an outraged look on his face.

‘That is not a gun.’ he hissed. ‘That is a highly modified AS50 and my baby, so if you want to insult her you can fuck off.’

‘Weirdo.’ Ross laughed and tugged Jim after him.

***********

They found Diego and Estefania in the restaurant and already seated at one of the tables in front of the open terrace doors. As soon as Estefania spotted them she was up, her arms held out as she kissed them both and leaving bright coral lipstick marks on their cheeks.

‘ _Querido_.’ She took Ross’ face in her hands. ‘You look good.’ She glanced over at Jim. ‘So do you. Married life suits you.’

Jim raised an eyebrow at Ross, getting a rib crushing hug from Diego before he was allowed to sit down.

‘Where are the kids?’ he asked. ‘I thought they would beat us up here.’

‘It’s good.’ Diego had his serious face on. ‘We can talk. Tomorrow we’re going to meet the Vasquez family at their house. I’ll be driving.’

‘Is Ritchie coming along?’ Jim asked and Diego nodded.

‘I know you have your reservations.’ he said, watching Jim closely. ‘But we’ll all be there to keep him in line and he’s grown to have a healthy respect for this part of the business and what you do.’ He raised a hand and a waiter came over. ‘You boys drinking?’

‘Sure.’ Jim picked up his menu. ‘You want a beer, baby? Or something with an umbrella?’

‘Umbrella.’ Ross grinned at Estefania. ‘What are you drinking?’ He inspected her cocktail, a frothy pink confection that smelled like strawberries. ‘Is that a daquiri?’ He smiled when she nodded confirmation. ‘I’ll have the same as her.’

‘Fine.’ Jim looked up at the waiter. ‘You have Mayabe?’ He grinned at the brief look of surprise that crossed the waiter’s face.

‘No, unfortunately.’ the waiter was apologetic. ‘I can get you a Bucanero or Cristal.’

‘Neither.’ Jim said. ‘I’ll have a Cubata, thank you.’

‘Si, senor.’ The waiter nodded and trotted off and Diego chuckled.

‘You’re tense.’ he said.

‘You know why.’ Jim replied and Ross bit his lip. He eased a hand onto Jim’s thigh and felt him relax a little.

‘It’ll be routine.’ Diego assured him. ‘We go talk, bash some details out and you take care of their little problem. We’re all good and we make a deal that will be very beneficial.’

‘I know.’ Jim leaned back in his chair. ‘But this job is going to cause a lot of waves. You prepared for that?’

‘We have to be.’ Diego said. ‘These bastards are getting too big for their boots.’

‘Agreed.’ Jim fell silent as the waiter re-appeared with their drinks. ‘I’m assuming the details will be given tomorrow.’

‘Yes.’ Diego sipped his wine. ‘And you know that you’re the only person I trust this with.’

‘ _Dios mio_!’ Estefania threw up her hands. ‘Can we not talk shop for one afternoon?’ She shook her head at both of them. ‘You see, Jim. Now he’s going to be all worked up.’ This was said with a glare at her husband.

‘Sorry.’ Jim looked mollified and Ross grinned. Estefania had no qualms about treating them both like they were her actual children.

Ritchie and Shandra joined them when they were on their second round of drinks and Ross could see that the reason they were late was obviously because they had been arguing, if the stormy expressions were anything to go by. Their relationship was notoriously tempestuous and when they sat down, Shandra immediately turned her back on Ritchie.

In spite of that the conversation flowed as lunch was ordered and arrived. Ross was elbow deep in seafood when he caught the next thing Jim said and it prompted him to look up, mouth still full and Jim caught sight of him and huffed a laugh at Ross’ expression. He swallowed and then his face lit up.

‘Will you?’ he asked and Jim grinned and nodded.

‘If you behave yourself, I’ll consider it.’ he replied. ‘Once I hear the particulars. No promises though.’

‘That’s okay.’ Ross started to almost vibrate with excitement. He’d always wanted to watch Jim do a professional job. ‘I can be unobtrusive.’

The general snorts of amusement from around the table told him that no-one believed him.

‘You couldn’t if you tried.’ Jim smiled at him fondly


	2. Ramona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim takes Ross to meet a new person.

The evening sun dipped below the horizon and Ross was draped over the iron railing of their balcony making heart eyes at the multicoloured display. He was shirtless and wearing only a towel after his shower, still sweating like a horse from the sultry temperatures even after a shower. He didn’t hear the sound of Jim approaching so he jumped a little when his arms went around him. 

‘What are you doing?’ Jim nuzzled at the back of his neck and Ross shivered when his breath ghosted across the back of his neck, one of his little hot-spots that Jim was so good at hitting. He added a touch of teeth for good measure and was rewarded with Ross’ backside being pressed right against his cock. It was distracting to say the least. 

‘Enjoying the view.’ Ross replied. ‘This is such a beautiful city.’ He sounded utterly entranced.

‘I knew you’d love it.’ Jim dropped a kiss on his bare shoulder. ‘You’re going to go nuts when you see it at night.’ He stepped back, hands lingering at Ross’ hips. ‘Although that does mean you need to get your arse in gear and get dressed.’

‘So this place we’re going tonight?’ Ross asked. ‘The people you’re doing business with will be there?’

‘No, someone else I need to call on.’ Jim replied. ‘It is, however, strictly invitation only. The person we’re going to see is someone that works in the same circles I used to.’

‘When you say the same circles…?’ Ross trailed off and tried to peer at him over his shoulder. ‘Is he one of those?’

‘She and yeah.’ Jim smiled against Ross’ smooth skin. ‘By the way, there is also a dress code you will need to comply with, which means you need to get dressed.’ He grinned and then whipped Ross’ towel away like a magician executing a trick. Ross swatted at him and chased him inside and tackled him to the bed, getting an outraged noise as he pinned Jim down with a playful growl. Jim allowed him his moment, knowing he’d get him later.

‘You know I’m really excited about this whole thing.’ Ross leaned down, wriggling his hips in a way that made Jim go hazy and distracted. ‘I have to say the whole sniper deal is really fucking hot.’

‘You’re an idiot.’ JIm said, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair out of Ross’ eyes. 

‘Yeah, well you married this idiot.’ Ross pointed out, clinking his wedding ring against Jim’s. He sat back. Jim’s cock was starting to get more than a little interested underneath him. ‘Think we got time to fool around?’

‘I love how the heat makes you horny.’ Jim laughed. ‘And no. The car will be here in exactly twenty minutes so you need to hustle.’ He shoved Ross to the side and sat up, throwing out a hand to stop him from falling off the bed. 

‘What should I wear?’ Ross asked, finally up and bouncing towards the closet. 

‘Black.’ Jim said. ‘That way when you get sloppy drunk and spill your drink all over yourself, nobody will notice.’

‘It’s almost like you know me.’ Ross grinned, taking out a shirt and trousers. He turned just in time to catch the black boxer briefs Jim had hurled at his head. ‘Look at that. Mouse like reflexes!’

‘Wanker.’ Jim snorted and shrugged into his shoulder harness. In addition to the sniper rifle, he’d bought his handgun as well. He holstered the weapon and picked up the light jacket he was wearing. ‘Put your damn pants on.’

He watched with growing amusement as Ross hopped from one foot to the other as he pulled the briefs on. 

‘You know I love it when you go all mob husband, right?’ he said. ‘Do I get one?’

‘No.’ Jim replied and walked to the door. 

**********

Downstairs they were greeted by a sleek mint green Chevy Bel Air. Jim laughed at the way Ross’ dark eyes lit up. He was so easy to please, hopelessly addicted to Americana in every way. He held the door for him while he greeted the driver and gave him instructions as Ross got in, then followed him into the back seat before giving him an appreciative look. Ross had followed his instructions and was in all black, his shirt unbuttoned dangerously low and his crucifix gleaming from thick black hair. He fitted in perfectly with the people around him and yet also stood out as the most beautiful thing for miles around as far as Jim was concerned.

The drive took them threw downtown Havana. Here the buildings were not perfectly maintained, their facades faded and crumbling. People were crowded on street corners and the chatter and music coming from behind closed doors and windows had the effect of making the air seem like it was almost vibrating with energy. 

The building they pulled up outside didn’t look like much, but light was leaking through the shuttered windows and music was blasting from the open French doors on the balcony above. Various people were hanging over, all of them effortlessly chic and dressed for a night out. The car stopped and a heavily built man emerged from the shadows and opened the car door. Jim nodded in acknowledgement and held out a hand to Ross, handing him out onto the sidewalk. Ross gave him that little half-smile he knew riled Jim up and Jim narrowed his eyes in response. He was counting on Ross’ naturally flirtacious nature to ease the way tonight. Ramona Ortiz was a woman with an eye for pretty faces attached to long legs regardless of gender, and Jim knew that he had a secret weapon that would make the discussions go more smoothly. 

They got to the door and it was opened from the inside by another burly man. Jim placed a hand at the small of Ross back and guided him inside ahead of him. He did a lightning quick sweep of the place, taking in the the hostess coming towards them. She was clad in a slinky black tube, thick curls cascading down over one shoulder and pinned back with a red zinnia on the opposite side. She didn’t ask for Jim’s name, simply gave them both a onceover and then beckoned for them to follow her. Jim knew she had been briefed. The club’s owner was a very particular woman when it came to her staff and had no doubt given instructions for them to be brought straight in should they turn up. Every single person would have been hand picked for their unswerving loyalty and discretion. 

They were led through around the dance floor, already crowded with dancers moving to the music from the band onstage. There was a raised section and the hostess led them up and seated them, a waiter with cocktails appearing as of from nowhere and handing them drinks. Ross’ eyebrows went up when he saw that and he gave Jim a look. 

‘She knows you drink Cuba Libres?’ he said and Jim smiled. 

‘Ramona knows an awful lot more than that.’ he replied. ‘Us being here is a professional courtesy. Trust me, she knew we were here the second we set foot in Havana’

‘How long has she been in the business?’ Ross asked, taking a sip of his drink, another daiquiri. 

‘Long enough for people to know not to ask.’ Jim grinned at him over his glass. ‘So don’t. In fact, don’t ask anything. Just turn on that gorgeous smile of yours and let me do the talking.’

‘You just love me for my body.’ Ross huffed and Jim snickered and slid his hand up Ross’ thigh.

‘That’s because it’s the most amazing body I have ever had the pleasure of being pressed up against on a regular basis.’ he replied and then nodded. ‘Here’s the lady of the evening.’

He watched Ross look over, waiting for the inevitable disbelief. Ramona was not what people expected, which was the reason for her astounding success in the shadowy world of contract assassinations. She had the look of a middle aged professional something, her chestnut hair glossy and shoulder length. Tonight she was in a black suit and an emerald green shirt, a pear shaped diamond that must have been at least eight carats sparkling at the hollow of her throat. Jim knew for a fact that it had been a gift from Fidel himself. She got to their table and draped herself over one of the chairs opposite. Jim’s practiced eye picked up at least three concealed weapons. 

‘Hello boys.’ Her voice was smoky and affected a flawless American accent. 

‘Ramona.’ he replied and then nodded at Ross. ‘This is Ross.’

‘The husband?’ Ramona’s mouth curled up in a feline smile. ‘He’s hot, Jimmy. You always did have exquisite taste.’

Jim ignored the look of delighted amusement that Ross was giving him. He sipped his drink and looked Ramona right in the eye. It didn’t do to show fear. She was like a shark that had scented blood in the water when she sensed it. 

‘You know why I’m here.’ He didn’t phrase it as a question and Ramona nodded, accepting her own cocktail from the returning waiter. It was electric blue and had a little red paper umbrella in it and Jim noticed Ross regarding it with interest. 

Ramona extracted the cherry from the top and ate it slowly. 

‘I do.’ she finally said. ‘I can’t say I’m wild about the idea.’

‘Not really my problem.’ Jim countered. ‘I’m here to do a job.’

‘I should have been consulted first.’ Ramona inspected her fingernails, cut short and painted black. ‘This is my turf.’

‘The Guzmans wanted an outsider.’ Jim pointed out. ‘Someone who doesn’t have a horse in this race.’

‘Bullshit.’ Ramona snorted. ‘You telling me your father didn’t jump at the chance to take out one of his main competitors?’

‘He wouldn’t be coming here if he hadn’t been invited.’ Jim replied. ‘And you and I both know that the Lopez family have been overstepping their boundaries for a while now. It makes things more dangerous for everyone, especially those of us who have more to lose. He can’t be blamed for wanting to protect that.’

‘I never said he could,’ Ramona countered easily. ‘What are they paying you?’

‘You know I’m not at liberty to discuss that.’ Jim chuckled at her cheek. It was an unwritten rule that fees were never discussed. He hadn’t even told Ross just how much he was getting out of it, largely because his protests about not buying Ross his own theatre wouldn’t hold weight against it. The contract on Victor Lopez was a very large one due to the extraordinary amount of personal security he had, as well as all the policia in his pocket. It was going to take all of Jim’s skill to get close enough to take a shot. 

Ramona levelled an unimpressed look at him, snorted and then turned to Ross. 

‘What about you, sweetie?’ she asked. ‘You in the game?’

‘Uh, no?’ Ross replied, his dark eyes going wide. ‘I’m just the trophy wife.’

‘That’s not how I hear it.’ Ramona flashed a brilliant smile that was more than a little wolfish. ‘It's been rumoured that Jimmy’s been having some help. I heard about how the Colluscos seemed to just up and vanish. It had his grubby paw prints all over it but word on the street was that he didn’t do it alone.’

‘Hey.’ Jim interjected. ‘My paws are anything but grubby and that was a family affair I’ll have you know.’

‘Shut up, Jimmy.’ Ramona didn’t even look at him, her eyes trained on Ross. ‘So what are you, some kind of gifted amateur?’

‘Something like that.’ Ross replied and gave her a smile that more than matched hers, his chin tilted up in a perfect picture of arrogance. ‘Want me to demonstrate?’

JIm held his breath, knowing this was the make or break moment. To his great relief, Ramona snorted with laughter. 

‘Keep this one.’ she said to Jim. ‘He actually doesn’t look like he’s about to shit himself around me.’

‘Just because I haven’t told him about you.’ Jim admitted. ‘I thought he might not come otherwise.’ He patted Ross’ knee and got a truly impressive eye roll in response. 

‘Ignore him.’ Ross snorted. ‘Tell me all the gory stories.’

‘All right.’ Ramona laughed and waved to the waiter for more drinks. ‘Let’s start with the time I disemboweled a man with a corkscrew.’

************

It was past midnight before Jim’s burner phone lit up with messages from Ritchie and Shandra demanding to know where they were. He snorted and pocketed it and saw Ramona and Ross staring at him expectantly.

‘Ritchie.’ he said and Ramona’s face lit up. 

‘Tell them to get their asses over here.’ she said. ‘Shandra can have a go on the stage.’

‘Do not encourage her.’ Jim said but Ross already had his own burner phone out and was texting back. Ramona had one dark eyebrow arched at Jim, a smile on her face. 

‘I know what went down in Miami.’ she said, her voice low. ‘You’re still pissed at him.’

‘He’s cleaned up his act.’ Jim muttered but he knew that she could read him well enough to know that he was deflecting. 

‘It was a year and a half ago.’ Ramona pointed out. 

‘And we’re still feeling the repercussions.’ Jim snorted. ‘This is one of them.’ 

‘LIke you said, the Lopez family have been getting out of hand for a while now.’ Ramona said. ‘I don’t think all the blame falls at Diego’s feet.’

‘He’s been so busy cleaning up Ritchie’s mess that he’s let things slide here.’ Jim argued. ‘If we had been watching things more closely we could have shut things down before we got to the point where I’m having to take out the whole goddamn family.’

‘It is unfortunate.’ Ramona conceded, sipping her drink. ‘But I’m sure they’re paying you very well.’

‘The money isn’t the issue.’ Jim said. ‘This is dangerous, even for me.’ He huffed and ran a finger along the rim of his glass. ‘The Lopez place is a fortress. They make the Collusco thing look like play time.’

‘I assume you have a plan.’ Ramona said. 

‘If I do, I’m not telling you about it.’ Jim gave her a wry smile and then looked at Ross, whose face was lit up blue by his cell phone. ‘Are they on their way?’

‘Be here in ten.’ Ross replied. He saw a man appear as if by magic at Ramona’s side to lean down and whisper in her ear. She listened and then threw back the rest of her drink.

‘And that’s my cue.’ she said and smiled. ‘I have a few more diverting past times planned and you boys have been monopolising me. Come see me before you leave the country. We’ll have lunch.’ She got up and they followed suit. Jim kissed her on the cheek she offered and so did Ross before they watched her descend and blend into the crowd. 

‘So she’s interesting.’ Ross had moved to stand next to him, his arm circling Jim’s waist. ‘I think she might even be scarier than you are.’

‘She’s the best.’ Jim explained. ‘Nobody even comes close.’

‘Not even you?’ Ross’ voice was teasing but his eyes were serious. 

‘Not even me.’ Jim smiled. ‘But she did teach me some things. That’s why the visit. I needed to tell her I was in town. Get her approval.’

‘Seemed like she knew already.’ Ross said. 

‘Of course she did.’ Jim replied. ‘But if I hadn’t, she would have cut my balls off. Literally.’ He lifted his head and nodded across the club. ‘They’re here.’

Tonight Shandra’s dress was an asymmetrical crimson silk waterfall and she was draped in diamonds that were too ostentatious to be anything but paste. Ritchie was in white again, swaying gently on his feet and reeking of gin. 

‘How was dinner?’ Jim asked and he grinned. 

‘Good.’ he smiled. ‘You should have been there.’

‘I needed to see someone.’ Jim replied and Ritchie didn’t push the issue. He didn’t know Ramona personally, had never dealt with her like Jim had. Only Jim, Silver and Flint interacted with her. Even Diego kept a professional distance, although Ramona was extremely well-informed as to them. That was part of her job though and she was adept at navigating the various feuds and intricacies of the drug smuggling world without getting entangled. 

‘So are we dancing?’ Shandra was already moving to the music, keyed up and clearly ready to go. There was gold glittered powder dusted across her shoulders and collar bones and she looked like some kind of trashy goddess. 

‘Sure thing, baby.’ Ritchie draped his jacket over the nearest chair and took her hand, towing her behind him in the direction of the dance floor. 

‘They didn’t even get drinks.’ Ross frowned and Jim huffed again. 

‘They’re both high.’ he said. ‘I can’t believe you can’t spot that.’ 

‘Not my thing.’ Ross said cheerily. ‘Won’t Diego give them hell for that though?’

‘It’s not dealing so I think he lets it slide.’ Jim said. He nodded at the table. ‘You want another drink?’

‘No.’ Now Ross was leaning into him, dark eyes glittering in the flashing lights of the club. ‘I want to dance with you.’ His mouth held a mischievous curve and Jim couldn’t help but let himself be led down the stairs and to the dance floor. 

He lead of course, there was never any doubt that he would, and they moved like one person. They had become so much better at this since that first time long ago in Miami. There seemed to be so many things coming back to him from that trip and he felt an involuntary shiver at the thought of how that had gone down. But then it had also led to them getting married only six months ago and that had undoubtedly been the best day of his life. 

They moved together effortlessly, drawing looks from those around them as they danced song after song. Jim knew it was partly because they were two men dancing, although that wasn’t as rare as people would have guessed, but also partly because Ross was mesmerising when he danced. He spun him out, catching Ross’ hand and then hauling him back in so they collided harder than necessary but the look he got was one of concern.

‘You riled up, babe?’ Ross breathed the words in his ear. ‘You’re all over the place. You have been since we got to Havana.’ He now had both arms around Jim’s shoulders, mouth pressed against his ear. He pulled back, dark brows drawn down. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Something.’ Jim sighed and pulled him back. ‘There’s something off, I can feel it.’

It was true, had been since he’d looked up at the Havana skyline and felt that little twinge in his gut that had served him so well his entire life as a professional. He’d ignored it to his detriment before but now he was not about to. Part of why he’d come to see Ramona was to ascertain if the source of his discomfort was attached to her but he’d picked nothing up. He glanced over at where Ritchie and Shandra were dancing and knew it wasn’t from them either. There was something else, a sense of being watched that made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. 

‘Hey.’ Ross reached up, hand to Jim’s cheek. ‘I know you’re always on alert, but let’s just have fun tonight okay?’ He smiled and Jim felt the knot in his chest ease. ‘They’d be crazy to try anything here.’

‘Yeah.’ He took a deep breath and nodded. ‘You’re right.’ 

‘Of course I am.’ Ross breathed in his ear. ‘But in case you still don’t believe me, how about I distract you?’

‘And just how are you going to accomplish that?’ Jim smiled, feeling Ross’ hands already starting to wonder. He looked at him, sliding his own hand along the line of Ross’ back until he could get a handful of backside. ‘Ramona will kill us if we make a scene.’

Ross just blinked at him from under lashes almost too thick to be real, then stepped back and tugging Jim after him. Jim followed, letting Ross lead him through the sweaty mass of people. The restrooms were at the back and they ducked inside, heading for the cubicle at the end. JIm got the door closed behind them and then he was being pressed back against the wall while Ross dragged a warm wet tongue up the side of his neck. 

‘You taste like salt.’ he murmured and Jim got a handful of thick curls, shorter than he usually wore his hair but no less gorgeous for that. He pulled just hard enough for Ross’ head to come back, saw how dark his eyes were and heard him whine a little through his nose. 

‘You want it baby?’ he asked, lowering his voice and watching how Ross’ pulse jumped in the graceful line of his neck. He’d been on edge all afternoon and into the evening, and Jim could practically smell the lust coming off his skin. ‘You get so fucking horny when it's like this.’

Ross bared his teeth at him, a feral edge to his smile that had Jim dragging him around so they were reversed and Ross had his back up against the wall. He got one hand around his throat and Ross obediently tipped his head back so Jim could bite at his jaw, teeth scraping along his stubble. He licked, tasting sweat and the acrid sting of Ross’ cologne before their mouths met, the frantic tangle of tongues tasting like rum and sugar. Ross gave back as good as he got, his hands working at Jim’s belt until he had it undone, lowering the zipper and easing in to find his cock. Jim let him, already half-hard from the kissing. It took only a few strokes of Ross’ hand and he was fully erect, heat building at the base of his spine. He tried to reciprocate but Ross batted his hands away and sank gracefully to his knees, looking up with a wicked smile. 

‘How fast do you think I can make you come?’ he asked, nosing along the line of Jim’s cock. He got one hand tangled in Ross’ hair and smiled down at him. 

‘You on a schedule?’ he asked and Ross laughed, deep and happy. It was a sound Jim never got sick of hearing. 

‘Would it be bad form to send you to your meeting with a hangover and still sex-stupid?’ he asked, working Jim’s briefs and pants down far enough that he could take him out, nosing at his cock like an enthusiastic puppy. It was enough to make Jim throw his head back to thump against the wall of the cubicle, the teasing wash of Ross’ breath making him want to go off like a teenager. 

‘Will you shut the fuck up and blow me already?’ he muttered and then inhaled sharply as Ross slid his mouth over the head of his cock. He threw out one hand to steady himself, the other one in Ross’ hair tightening its grip. Ross moaned around him, his mouth a glorious wet heat that brought unending pleasure. He sucked hard on the way up, his eyes never leaving Jim’s. Jim watched him back, breathing hard through his nose and oblivious to the sounds of other coming and going outside. This was hardly the most scandalous thing that had happened in this particular bathroom so he paid it no mind. 

Ross was his usual enthusiastic self, making little sounds as he worked Jim’s cock with his tongue, pulling off to lap at the head like a cat before plunging back down again. Jim made a strangled noise, his resistance shot in the face of Ross’ determination and then he was coming, arching into Ross’ mouth as deep as he could go and biting his lip to keep from yelling. 

Ross swallowed around him, the flex of his throat bringing little aftershocks that made Jim shake and bend over him, hands resting on Ross’ shoulders as he came down enough for Ross to slowly pull off, licking his lips in a particularly self-satisfied manner. He tucked Jim back in and then got to his feet, zipping him up and redoing his belt. 

‘Cat got your tongue?’ he asked, dark eyes sparkling madly. 

‘You’re such a bad boy.’ Jim smiled, glancing down at the noticeable bulge in Ross’ own trousers. ‘You want a hand with that?’

Ross’ smile turned coy and he leaned in, kissing Jim softly. 

‘Later.’ he whispered. ‘I want you to fuck me into the bed.’

‘I can do that.’ Jim kissed him back, licking over Ross’ lower lip. ‘What do you want to do in the meantime?’

‘Dance some more.’ Ross laughed and opened the door of the cubicle to several men who looked more than a little alarmed as they both came out. He laughed even louder, bordering on raucous as he winked at them and took Jim by the wrist to lead him back out into the club. 

They kept dancing and by three in the morning Jim was too warm from salsa and alcohol to worry as much as he had been. He laughed when Ross nosed at him, kissing him frantically in that way that meant Jim was this close to being mauled. Again.

Ritchie and Shandra had slowed down and were now plastered over each other. Ritchie had Shandra’s gardening from her hair behind his ear and her heels in one hand, supporting her while she seemed to be snoozing on his shoulder. 

‘I think it’s time to go.’ he slurred, looking back at Jim. ‘She’s going to be out cold the second we get in the car.’

‘No fun for you tonight.’ Ross cackled over Jim’s shoulder at him. 

‘I know.’ Ritchie’s smile was fond as he stroked Shandra’s back. ‘You want to get out of here?’

‘Yeah.’ Jim said. 

They collected their jackets and pressed through the crowd. The club was still packed but when they got outside it was cooling down and the breeze was pleasant on Jim’s overheated skin. He watched Ross run a hand through his curls while Ritchie handed off Shandra so she was now draped over Ross’ shoulder and went to go negotiate a taxi back to the hotel. 

Jim watched them fondly, his heart as full as it could be. He was not immune to the warm feeling of having his family, as unusual as it was, around him and the last time they had been able to be together had been the wedding. He shifted on his feet, smiling when Ritchie opened the back door of the taxi and made a grand gesture. 

‘Your chariot, my darling.’ he declared and Shandra giggled and flounced over to him, squealing happily when he slapped her on her very shapely rear. Ross followed, almost tripping over his own feet. Jim caught him quick enough to right him and steered him into the back with the other two before going around to take the seat next to the driver. 

He chatted to the man in Spanish, laughing at the drunken serenading he was getting from their passengers. Ross had a remarkably good voice, something he hid well, and he and Shandra were doing a very good job of harmonising. Ritchie was out of time, but he’d inherited Diego’s strangely operatic vocal chords and so he didn’t sound half bad. 

BY the time they got back to the hotel, the driver had joined in and they were all singing at the top of their lungs. JIm sat and shook his head at them. 

‘Oooh.’ Shandra leaned over the back and draped her arms around his neck. ‘WE should go swimming!’

‘I second that.’ Ross said and Ritchie nodded his agreement. 

‘You’re all children.’ Jim muttered but he knew he’d end up going along with it. The night was still incredibly warm and humid, too much to just go to bed and marinate in his own sweat. Or at least not until later when it would be the result of him making good on Ross’ request. 

He paid the driver while the other three helped each other out and staggered into the hotel. They were all waiting for him in the lobby, cackling like a pack of hyenas when he finally came in after them. Shandra was on Ritchie’s back, her dress hiked up around her waist and her black lace panties on display. 

‘Onward.’ she yelled, applying her heels to Ritchie’s sides.  
‘Don’t even think about it.’ Jim told Ross, putting a preemptive hand on his chest as he passed. ‘It’s too hot to carry you.’

‘Spoilsport.’ Ross muttered but he took Jim’s hand and followed him to the elevator. They rode up to their rooms and parted ways temporarily top get their swimsuits. 

‘See you up there.’ Shandra trilled, disappearing into her room. Jim chuckled and opened their door. Ross bounced past him and started stripping off his clothes immediately. He almost fell over until Jim came to help him, freeing him from his shirt and admiring the play of muscles under his tattoo when he turned around and bent to pull on his swim trunks. 

JIm followed suit, slipping on a loose cotton shirt but leaving it open. Ross had no such decorum and he bounded out the room once he had his trunks on and galloped off to the elevator. Jim chased after him, marvelling how his husband managed to encapsulate all the characteristics of a very small child when he was in the presence of Ritchie and Shandra. 

They were already there, also dressed for the pool and fairly vibrating with excitement. 

‘We asked Papa and Mami if they wanted to join us.’ Ritchie told them. ‘They threw a pillow at us and told us to fuck off.’ He sniggered. ‘They old as fuck.’

‘Don’t let your father catch you saying that.’ Jim admonished. ‘And if my kid came into my hotel room without knocking, I’d do worse than that.’ 

‘Details.’ Ritchie snorted as the elevator arrived with a soft ping. They crowded in together, elbows jousting. Jim squeezed into one corner. He’d learned that it was best to just let the childishness run its course. 

The roof terrace was quiet except for the sound of water lapping at the sides of the pool, and Jim frowned. He hadn’t expected to see anyone else up here and when they approached the pool his eyebrows went up at the sight of his adoptive father being pressed against the side of the pool by his father’s erstwhile boyfriend. There was a lot of tongue action going on and both pairs of hands were suspiciously out of sight.

‘Jesus fuck.’ he said and they broke apart like a pair of guilty teenagers. ‘In the fucking pool?’ 

‘James.’ Silver managed a sheepish grin. ‘We were just having a dip.’

‘Is that what they call it these days?’ Ross cackled before falling bodily into the illuminated water. He was closely followed by Shandra and Ritchie, all of them surfacing in waves and giggles. 

‘You little bastards!’ Flint roared as they immediately fell on him, dunking him under water while Silver paddled madly for safety. 

‘My fucking family.’ Jim shook his head and sat down, feeting dangling in the water. Silver got to him and hauled himself out, pulling Jim in so he could plant a soggy kiss on the top of his head. 

‘You have a good trip over?’ he asked and Jim nodded.

‘Smooth as silk.’ he replied, laughing when the rest started up a spirited game of Marco Polo with Flint being It. ‘You?’

‘Not bad.’ Silver leaned back on both hands. ‘You have fun tonight?’

‘I went to see Ramona.’ Jim told him and Silver nodded sagely. 

‘Good move.’ He kicked out as Flint came past and gave his ankle a playful tug. ‘None of that. Go play with the kids some more.’ Flint chuckled and dove under the water, chasing after Shandra. 

‘Tomorrow.’ Jim chewed on a nail. ‘You’re sure about it being all set up?’

Silver frowned at him, his blue-grey eyes questioning.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked and Jim could only shrug.

‘I don’t know.’ he replied truthfully. ‘But i have a bad feeling about this.’


	3. This Is Turning Into A Car Crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not what Jim was expecting, but when do things ever go to plan...

Morning brought a different Jim but Ross was not perturbed. He was used to the shifting of his moods when he did a professional job, not that there had been many but there had been enough for Ross to be unaffected by the way Jim’s dimples disappeared and his tone became serious.

He lay in their hotel bed and watched Jim dress, simple in charcoal pants and black shirt, his shoulder holster hidden by the jacket he wore. He looked every bit a clean cut European businessman and yet Ross could now spot the telltale way he moved that indicated that he had more weapons on him than met the eye. It wasn’t that he felt unsafe, but Jim was extremely cautious.

‘I’ll miss you today.’ Ross gave him a sleepy sated smile and Jim raised one golden eyebrow at him.

‘No you won’t.’ he said. ‘You’re going to be too busy wearing a hole in your credit card.’ He came over, bending just enough to lean down and kiss Ross gently, nosing at him once before straightening up and running his hand through Ross’ curls once. ‘I’ll call when I’m done.’

‘Love you, baby.’ Ross murmured, already turning over into the bed and closing his eyes.

‘Love you too, Ross.’ Jim’s voice was soft and then the door closed behind him.

Flint, Silver and Diego were all waiting downstairs for him, similarly dressed and with their game faces on. JIm gave them a quick nod and handed in his key card to the reception, then followed them outside to the front of the hotel.

The car that was waiting for them was unusual in that it was not one of the ice-cream coloured vintage models that filled the city. Instead it was a heavy duty SUV, sleek and black and with tinted windows that Jim knew would be bulletproof glass.

The driver got out and there was a moment of eye contact as he opened the back doors, the giving of mutual trust that meant they would get in. Flint, Diego and Silver rode in the back, but Jim went to get in the front. He preferred to keep his eyes on everything, taking his Wayfarers out and sliding them on.

The driver pulled out into traffic, the radio playing reggaeton in the background. He said nothing but Jim didn’t expect him to. After all, he was more than likely someone who was trusted to be discreet and keep his mouth shut. The car took them onto the freeway and Jim leaned against the door, watching and taking note of landmarks and road signs as he tracked their route. He hadn’t gotten as far as he had by being unobservant and he wasn’t going to let his guard down now. Behind him he heard the others talking softly and kept one ear tuned for anything of note. They would be going to the family’s compound, a good fifty kilometres outside the city and set in lush gardens on the beach. Jim had never been there, but Silver and Flint had both partaken of the Guzman’s hospitality. He leaned his head against the window, idly thinking about when the job would be done and he and Ross could do a little bit of island hopping, taking their time back to Miami. He smiled to himself and then something caught his eye and he sat up and looked in the side mirror.

‘John.’ He didn’t raise his voice, stayed nothing but perfectly calm. Even so, his father knew him well enough to stop talking and then all four of them were turned and looking out the back window.

The blow came from the right and was so unexpected, none of them had any chance to react apart from doing their level best to brace themselves. Their driver swore a blue streak and wheeled the SUV to the right, cutting off two lanes of traffic as he wrestled with the vehicle and then they hit the concrete barrier and the world turned upside down.

***********

Ross was waiting downstairs in the lobby for Shandra and Estefania, sipping a coffee and flicking through Twitter. He was catching up on the NYC gossip and just so happened to look up when he noticed a man going past him.

Jim always teased him about being not being particularly observant, but Ross was a lot sharper than he let on most days and his internal alarm started ringing in the back of his head. He was able to recognise fellow predators and there was something in the way the man carried himself that made him set down his cup and get up. He followed at a discreet pace, not wanting to give himself away. He moved to stand by a pillar, obscuring himself from direct view and then watched as the man pressed the button for the lift. He got a reasonable look at him and did a quick scan.

The man was young, probably twenties and dressed in much the same way as Ritchie did. Unlike Ritchie though, he was sleek in a completely different way and carried himself with the same quiet arrogance that Jim did and Ross knew immediately what he was dealing with.

He took a deep breath ton settle himself, his adrenaline starting to flow as he ran through possible scenarios. This could all be a massive coincidence, but since the incident with Carmen Jim had drummed into him how important it wasd to trust his instincts and right now they were screaming at him that there was something going on. He watched the man enter the lift, and then moved once the doors had closed. He took called for the lift adjacent, keeping one eye on the lights as the other one ascended. He knew exactly which floor it would hit and was inside the other lift even before he had his confirmation.

The ride up seemed to take an eternity and Ross dipped a hand under his shirt to the small of his back where his own Civilian now lay nestled. Jim had bought him one as well as a wedding gift, smirking when he’d handed it over. Now he slid it from it’s holster, thumbing the blade open and planning his route from the lift to Shandra and Ritchie’s room, which was closest. If the man was there to cause shit, he’d likely start with them.

There was a soft ding as the doors slid open and he took a quick look out into the corridor, finding it empty. He moved smoothly, his footsteps making no sound on the plush carpet until he could get to the corner. He peered around the edge of the wall and that was when he saw the man at Ritchie and Shandra’s door, one hand raised to knock.

Ross didn’t wait. Instead he moved light lightning, his one hand brining the Civilian out with the blade facing away from him and using his speed to reach the man in a matter of seconds. He was so surprised to see Ross, dark eyes going wide as he threw up one hand and then Ross had him around the neck, the crook of his elbow compressing the man’s windpipe even as he knocked his knees forward and drove him into the open doorway where Shandra was now standing, her face a picture of astonishment.

‘What the fuck…?!’ she started but Ross got the man inside and against the wall, the wickedly serrated blade to his throat. He kicked the door closed as Ritchie came bursting out of their bathroom, towel held up with one hand and his hair dripping water.

‘Ross?’ His eyes were nearly bulging out of his head. ‘What the hell are you doing, man?’

Ross ignored him, meeting the other man’s eyes as he swept a hand down his side, finding the expected firearm and plucking it neatly from the holster. He chucked it to Ritchie and saw him go white as he took note of the silencer.

‘Ross?’ Shandra’s voice was shaking.

‘Go get Estefania.’ he ordered, icy calm descending. ‘Now.’

Shandra didn’t wait. Instead she threw the door open and bolted out and Ross jerked his head in its direction. Ritchie took the hint and closed it and Ross looked back at the man, who was now holding very still.

‘Who are you?’ he asked and the man’s mouth pressed into a stubborn line.

‘ _No habla Ingles_.’ he replied, his voice perfectly neutral and Ross felt a wave of anger surge through him. He pressed the knife in deeper and watched the man wince, tiny ruby beads colouring the tanned skin of his neck.

‘Ritchie.’ He didn’t have to look to see that Ritchie was staring in disbelief at him. ‘Go to my room. The key card’s in my back pocket. I want you to find the duffle in the closet and bring it back. You understand?’

‘Yeah.’ Ritchie was moving before he’d even finished speaking and Ross waited until he was out the room before he leaned in close.

‘I know you understand me, so you’d best listen.’ he said, all pretences slipping away as he let his mask slip. ‘Now you better start talking otherwise I’m going to take you into the bathroom and cut off pieces of you until you do.’ He allowed himself a single smirk. ‘And I’m not like Jim. This isn’t a job for me. I like this.’

‘It don’t matter.’ The man’s English was thickly accented. ‘Your _marica_ is already dead. They took care of him before he got to the Guzman dogs. Right now the _policia_ are scraping him and the rest of the Argento cunts off the fucking road.’ He spat the last words and Ross saw red.

He pressed not with the knife this time but with his forearm, cutting off the man’s air. He watched dispassionately as the man started to go red, and then he was struggling to breathe. Ross was strong though and he had had a lot of practice in the last year of holding people immobile and he waited patiently until the man finally went purple and his eyes closed as he passed out.

Of course that was when Estefania came barrelling in, her eyes wild and a .45 in her hands. She took one look at the man now slumped on the floor at Ross’ feet and her face changed.

‘ _Hijo de puta!_ ’ She spat at him, and then looked at Ross. ‘This is a Lopez man. I have seen him before.’

‘Fuck.’ Ross stepped back and slammed the door shut. ‘He said they’ve taken out Jim and the others.’

‘Godammit.’ Estefania had her phone out now and was dialling one handed. She held it to her ear and then went pale. ‘Voicemail.’

Ross did the same and when Jim’s voice came through, all polite and impossibly British and telling him to leave a message, he started to feel not just anger but gut-churning worry. Jim never left his phone unanswered when it was Ross, not after the last time when they had had the casting agent debacle.

‘I got it.’ Now it was Ritchie and Shandra bursting through the door. He handed over the duffle bag and then stared at the now incapacitated man. ‘What did you do?’

‘I’m keeping him quiet.’ Ross’ mind was racing. He knelt to open the duffle bag and took out a roll of duct tape. ‘Do me a favour and get him in the bath.’

‘Fuck me.’ Shandra was also staring, her fuschia painted mouth hanging open. ‘Was he coming to kill us?’

‘He was going to try to.’ Estefania had picked up the man’s gun and was making it safe. ‘How did you spot him?’

‘He was off.’ Ross replied as he took the man’s feet while Ritchie got him under the arms. They hauled him up and carried him into the bathroom, lobbing him none too gently into the bath where Ross proceeded to start cutting his clothing off and binding his wrists and ankles with duct tape.

‘So what do we do?’ Ritchie had his hands on his hips and Ross nodded at the doorway.

‘Put the Do Not Disturb sign up and call down to reception to make sure they don’t violate it.’ he instructed. ‘Tell them you two are staying in bed all day.’

‘On it.’ Ritchie said and walked past his mother as she into the bathroom and firmly shut the door.

‘You’ll have to call the Guzmans.’ he said, checking the man was secure. When he looked up he saw that her face was stricken. ‘What?’

‘I tried.’ Estefania glared at the man in the bathtub. ‘The house line is disconnected and all the contacts I have are either on voicemail or turned off.’

‘Fuck.’ Ross sat back on his heels. ‘You tried Silver?’

‘Just ringing.’ Estefania nodded at the man. ‘What exactly did he say.’

‘That they would be scraping them off the road.’ Ross’ frowned as the words finally hit home. ‘Shit…’

‘I’ll call the police.’ Estefania was already dialing again. ‘If they got hit on the freeway…’ She trailed off and then started speaking Spanish, rapid firing the words as Ross got to his feet and watched her.

‘What?’ He felt a sick lurch in his stomach when he saw her expression change.

‘ _Gracias_.’ Her voice cracked as she hung up and looked at him. ‘There was an accident.’

‘No.’ Ross shook his head, fighting down the panic. ‘Tell me he’s okay.’

‘They took three men to hospital.’ she explained. ‘Ross, Jim’s not with them.’

‘What the fuck do you mean, Jim’s not with them.’ Ross was vaguely aware he was shouting but he didn’t care and he watched Estefania flinch in the face of his rage.

‘Diego, John and Flint were all badly injured when they got there.’ She was crying now, tears streaking down her face. ‘The driver was dead. They said there was no-one else.’ She hiccoughed, her breathing starting to hitch violently. ‘Dios mio…’

‘Mama?’ Ritchie had opened the door and was looking at her, his face like that of a small child. Shandra hovered just behind him, also crying. ‘ _Que paso_?’

‘Your Papi, John and Flint are on their way to the hospital.’ Estefania said, wiping her eyes with a bit of toilet paper. ‘You take Shandra and get your ass over there. I called Benjamin to find out if something had happened and he said he would come over and stay with us when he can. If those Lopez _cabrons_ try anything, we need someone to look after them.’

‘What about you, Ross?’ Ritchie asked. ‘You’re coming, right?’

‘No.’ Ross dug his nails into his palms, the bright flare of pain grounding him. ‘They’ve taken Jim.’ He looked at Estefania and knew she agreed. ‘I need to find out where and go get him back.’

**********

Jim jolted back to consciousness, pain running through his right arm and side. He inhaled sharply, his head throbbing as he tried to take stock of where he was as best he could in his disoriented state, but he was aware enough to test his wrists and find them bound with cable ties and feel that the holster he wore was empty. That said, the Civilian was still in place, strapped to the inside of his thigh and he knew immediately he was dealing with either amateurs or contract workers that had no idea who they were dealing with.

He lay still, closing his eyes and focusing on regulating his breathing. The crash came back to him in fragments, along with the recollection of being dragged from the van and hurled into the back of the vehicle he was presumably now in. A brief thought occurred to him that he was alone, which meant either the others had not survived the crash or that he was the target of something very specific. The former seemed more likely, especially considering that anyone trying to take him out wouldn’t have hesitated to grab John and Flint as well so the only logical conclusion was that his father and the man who’d been his mentor were dead. Had he been a normal functioning person, he would have been devastated. Instead, all Jim felt was anger, bubbling up to colour his vision red. Whoever had taken him was going to very seriously regret their decision and when he got to where they were going, he was going to kill every last person there.

***********

Ross waited until he got a call from Estefania telling him that she was at the hospital and had spoken to the doctors before he moved to the next stage of his plan. Thankfully, the news had been that while all three men were injured enough to be admitted, none of the damage was life-threatening. John had a shattered left tibia and fibula and Flint was being treated for internal injuries, but they had both regained consciousness when they’d been admitted. Diego was the biggest worry with severe head and neck trauma and Estefania had relayed the news that they were putting him in an induced coma until they could better assess the damage.

Benjamin had turned out to be a contact with the Havana police, a man that had been one of Diego’s proteges a long time before and who had an unswerving loyalty to him. He was making sure that everything was being covered up appropriately, meaning Jim’s name hadn’t even come into it and the entire thing was being treated as a routine traffic incident. A few calls had made sure there was security for them while in the hospital and Ross knew that they would be in safe hands.

The same could not be said for Jim. That was where he would come in. He was resourceful and his past year with Jim had taught him well enough. His first call had been to the club Ramona ran and he’d left a message simply stating that he needed her help and the room number and not even ten minutes the call had come through. Ross had told her what he knew and Ramona had listened quietly, asking one or two seemingly innocuous questions. Then she’d told him to give her half an hour and hung up.

It was now bang on thirty minutes later and there was a soft knock at the door. Ross went to check, peering through the peephole and seeing her standing there. He opened up and Ramona strode in past him, her face completely calm. She went to the door of the bathroom and looked in and then turned back to where he was closing and locking the door behind them.

‘I asked around.’ she said, putting her bag on the dressing table. ‘The Lopez family somehow got wind of what was happening and they’ve called in their own people. Not only that, but I heard tell on one of my little underground networks that the Colluscos are pulling their strings. They would have wanted to take Jim alive and then hand him over. This would mean a big payday and a hell of a lot of street cred if they pulled this off, but they’ve already fucked up so badly there’s only one way this can go down.’

‘Which is?’ Ross asked her and she smiled, opening her bag and taking out what looked like a pair of pliers and a knife that rivalled his own.

‘We find out what exactly this piece of shit knows and then we have some fun.’ she replied and walked into the bathroom. Ross grinned and followed her, watching how she crouched down and regarded the man in the bathtub with what was definitely a professional eye.

‘He looks a like he’s regretting his involvement.’ he remarked and the man in the tub make muffled noises of panic as he thrashed around. He’d come to about ten minutes after Ross had called Ramona and then screamed himself hoarse through the duct tape. It hadn’t helped matters, only enraged Ross further.

‘I can assume that whoever did the job on the van will be taking Jim to the Lopez compound.’ Ramona was now pulling on a pair of latex gloves, taken from the pocket of her jeans. ‘The Colluscos are not in the country so they’ll need to send someone to pick him up and take him back to the States. Knowing them, they’ll want to get even for the fiasco in Miami.’ She glanced up at Ross. ‘This one was sent to take out the loose ends, but he clearly wasn’t warned about you. That means he’s expendable.’ The man wriggled frantically when she said that.

‘How long do we have?’ Ross asked and she shrugged.

‘Twenty-four hours at the most.’ Ramona stood up. ‘We’ll need to go in and get him tonight. Darkness is good and it will take us about an hour to get where we need to be. I have enough hardware for both of us, but you’ll have to do exactly what I say. I’ve dealt with situations like this before and we can’t afford a shootout like that last one. We’ll go in quietly, get Jim and come out like we were never there.’ Her warm brown eyes fixed on him. ‘Do you understand?’

‘Quiet I can do.’ Ross smiled, his blood rushing with the thought of being able to play. ‘I hope you’ve got a strong stomach though. I’m not exactly orthodox.’

‘Oh darling.’ Ramona chuckled before she leaned in without any ado, flicked open her knife and grabbed the man’s bound hands. ‘Neither am I.’

Ross watched her cut through tendon, flesh and bone as if it was nothing, a practised flick of her blade ending in a dull thump as the man’s thumb fell into the tub and he howled in agony.

‘Can I help?’ he asked and she nodded.

‘Start at his feet.’ she ordered. ‘We’ll see how much he talks when he realises that we’ll just keep cutting things off until he does.’ Now her smile was tinged with the same beautiful madness Ross saw in Jim’s. ‘It usually takes until we get to the balls.’


	4. Let's Get Ready To Rumble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sandbags and hard hats at the ready...

Jim was in a warehouse, tied to one of the water pipes running along the wall at the back. His head was still pounding and he was in no doubt that he had a bad case of concussion, the low key nausea in his belly and the pain in his neck keeping him quiet. The men that had him were definitely Lopez mercs, all rough edges and rural accents as they talked about the big man that would be coming for him later. That had caught his attention and he’d listened carefully to them, their hushed conversations getting louder when he’d pretended to pass out.

The plastic ties were cutting into his wrists and Jim shifted slightly, trying to alleviate the pressure. He didn’t need numb hands for when he got the chance to make his move and he flexed his fingers just enough to keep the blood flow going and surveyed his surroundings through slitted eyes. He felt nothing but impatience and the dull buzz of pain, but Jim was good at being patient and so he relaxed and took stock of what was around him.

The warehouse was on the small side, stacked with boxes of counterfeit designer clothes and accessories. It was one of the Lopez family’s sideline businesses, run in the markets that catered to the resorts that catered to rich tourists with plenty of money. There were five men all together and Jim felt like smiling at how woefully undermanned this little operation was. Of course, they probably felt safe because he was only one man and injured on top, but then they didn’t know that he had someone else who would burn down the whole world to keep him safe and right now he was more than likely doing just that.

Jim was under no illusions as to what Ross was capable of. He’d also made sure that Ross knew who he could trust while they were here and he was almost one hundred percent sure that Ramona would have been the first number Ross would have dialed upon finding out what happened. Diego had people in the _policia_ and the crash on the freeway wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. That meant all Jim had to do was sit pretty until the cavalry showed up and then watch his beautiful boy in action.

It was going to be glorious.

**********

‘Guess we broke him.’ Ross regarded the ruin that had been one Marcos Constanza according to his driving licence, although Ramona doubted that was his real name or even if he was a legal resident of Cuba.

‘He deserved it.’ Ramona spat on the man’s corpse and then stripped off her bloody gloves. She took her phone out and dialed and Ross knelt by the side of the bath and trailed his fingers through Marcos’ open belly, the slipperiness making his heart speed up as he coiled the man’s intestines through his fingers.

‘We’ll need to clean up.’ he said and she gave him a wink.

‘Already on it.’ she replied and then spoke rapid fire Spanish into her phone. Ross caught enough to surmise that she was calling someone in to take care of the man in the bath.

They’d played nicely and Ross was been delighted to see that Ramona was every bit as creative as he was and completely unfazed by his predilections. It didn’t have the same sexual charge was when he and Jim hunted together, being cleaner and less visceral. But it had been good and now the adrenaline surged through his veins.

‘All done.’ Ramona hung up. ‘You’d be amazed what money and a certain reputation will buy you.’ She grinned. ‘Nobody will know he was even here.’

‘Impressive.’ Ross replied, matching her smile. ‘Now what?’

‘Now we go and get Jim back.’ Ramona replied. ‘I know the place they’re holding him. They’ll have a few men on him but it shouldn’t be anything you and I can’t handle. The Lopez _cabrons_ will be at their place. They won’t get anywhere near this. From what I understood, the pickup is tonight but he was slurring quite a bit towards the end so we best get a move on, just to be on the safe side.’

‘All right.’ Ross stood up. ‘I’ll follow your lead on this. It’s not like I know the place.’

‘We’ll go back to the club.’ Ramona said. ‘I’ve got a couple of my boys at the hospital watching the others. Then we get Jim and finish this.’

‘Wait, what?’ Ross frowned. ‘You mean do the job?’

‘Of course.’ Ramona smiled at him. ‘Jim’s a professional. He was paid to do a job and he’ll do it on time.’ Her red lips curled wickedly. ‘Haven’t you ever watched him do a hit?’

‘Not like the one he was going to do here.’ Ross confessed. ‘I mean…’ He hesitated and Ramona put a hand on his arm.

‘Don’t worry, honey.’ she said. ‘I know all about Jim’s little extracurricular activities. I’m assuming that’s probably the thing you two have in common, am I right?’

‘Something like that.’ Ross replied. ‘How did you guess?’

‘Because I know killers, Ross.’ Ramona shrugged. ‘You’ve got mad dog written all over you. I’m amazed Jim managed to tame you enough to stop you from getting into trouble.’

‘Funnily enough that’s how we met.’ Ross felt the warm glow inside him whenever he thought of their twisted little fairy tale. ‘He saved me one dark and stormy night.’

‘I bet he did.’ Ramona laughed. ‘What did he do to get you to fall in love with him?’

‘He sent me roses.’ Ross said. ‘And then he cut a man’s throat for me in a storm drain.’

‘Well, he always was a romantic.’ Ramona came to stand next to him. ‘You know he’ll be all right, don’t you? Jim can take care of himself.’

‘I know.’ Ross gave her a wolfish smile. ‘Doesn’t mean I don’t get to take out the wankers that took him. If they’ve hurt him, I will literally tear them apart.’ His dark eyes glittered. ‘I make no excuses for that.’

‘None needed.’ Ramona moved to the door. ‘Now let’s get the fuck out of here.’

***********

The sound of a repetitive beep woke Silver from his state of torpor and he groaned and smacked his lips, the dryness in his mouth confusing him for all of a second before he remembered.

‘Motherfucker.’ It came out sounding like he’d been on the piss for a week and he heard the relieved chuckle next to him and forced his eyes to slit open, although it felt like his eyelids were made of lead.

‘You bastard.’ Flint’s voice was cracked and full of emotion. ‘It’s taken you two bloody hours to wake up.’

Silver tried to focus and then he frowned, his head fuzzy and light like he was intoxicated.

‘Am I high?’ he asked and Flint snorted a laugh.

‘I should bloody think so.’ he replied. ‘They gave you enough morphine to knock out a rhino.’ He slowly came into focus and that was when Silver saw that he was lying in the bed next to him, just too far away to reach out and touch. He was in a white gown, deep bruises under his eyes and what looked like a nasty gash in his forehead. His left wrist was lying on the white bedspread and it was set in a cheerful blue fibreglass cast.

‘What the fuck happened?’ Silver tried to shift and then winced as pain lanced through his lower left leg.

‘Easy.’ Flint tried to soothe him. ‘You’ve got a shattered tibia and fibula. They’ve set it but you’re going to be on bed rest for a while and then physical therapy. I managed to get that much out of the doctors.’

‘The car.’ Silver wheezed. ‘They ran us off the goddamn road.’

‘Yeah.’ There was something else in Flint’s tone and now Silver focused, a sick feeling leaching into his stomach.

‘What are you not telling me?’ he asked, knowing even before Flint told him.

‘They took Jim.’ Flint’s grey eyes were stormy. ‘The fuckers have him, John.’

‘Shit.’ Silver slumped back against the pillows. ‘What do we know?’

‘Well, we know that they sent a guy after Stef and the kids at the hotel.’ Flint growled. ‘Thankfully, Ross got the drop on him. Also Diego’s in an induced coma. There might be brain damage but the docs are keeping him out of it until they can say for sure.’

‘Jesus fucking Christ.’ Silver gritted his teeth, anger racing through his veins like fire. ‘I am going to rip those Lopez cunts apart with my bare fucking hands if they hurt my boy.’

Flint’s weak chuckle floated over.

‘I think they’re the ones we should feel sorry for.’ he said. ‘If Jim knows they hurt you…’ He trailed off.

‘Never mind me.’ Silver muttered. ‘Let’s hope to God that they don’t tell him they sent a cleaner after Ross. He’ll kill all of them, even if he has to bite them to death.’ He grunted with effort as he moved to get a better look at Flint. ‘What about you?’

‘Well, my spleen will never be the same again.’ Flint huffed. ‘Broken wrist and a bump on the noggin but I’ll live.’

‘Thank fuck for that.’ Silver blew out a deep breath. ‘Where is Ross now? We need to talk to him, tell him what to do.’

‘He’s not here.’ Flint told him. ‘He told the others to get their arses here and stayed with the cleaner. Richie says he had the prick tied up in the bathtub of their room.’ He made a face. ‘I wouldn’t give good odds that he’s still in one piece.’ He made a pained noise as he tried to turn on his side. ‘Stef’s with Diego, so are Richie and Shandra. Who would Ross go to for help if it’s not us?’

The answer smacked Silver in the face like a brick and then he was laughing, wheezing with pain and unable to stop. Eventually he got himself under control and looked at Flint, whose face told Silver that he’d reached the exact same conclusion.

‘Ramona!’ They both yelled it at the same time just as a nurse came in, and she startled at their outburst and retreated immediately. That of course just made them both laugh again and then groan in pain as they jiggled their injuries.

‘Gives new meaning to only when I laugh.’ Flint winced, holding his side with his good hand. He looked over at Silver and now his eyes were soft. ‘I’m glad you didn’t die.’

‘Only because you don’t know where I’ve buried all the treasure.’ Silver snorted, still trying to get comfortable. ‘But I’m glad you didn’t die either.’

They never said _I love you_. Too many years of doing what they did had made this sentiment so much more meaningful and so it was what they said instead. They lay in silence for a moment and then Silver heaved a sigh.

‘We shouldn’t worry, should we?’ he asked and Flint huffed a soft laugh.

‘He’s more dangerous than both of us put together.’ he replied. ‘But he’s also our son, John. We’re always going to worry.’

‘I suppose so.’ Silver closed his eyes. ‘I just know that those poor sons of bitches have no idea what they’ve done taking him alive.’

**********

Ross followed Ramona into her club after he’d stopped off at his own room to change into boots, jeans and a plain black t-shirt under a black blazer and pick up the duffle with Jim’s gear in it. He wanted to look unobtrusive and it seemed to have worked. They had been collected from the service drop off of the hotel by a man who looked like he could have been a professional wrestler and nobody had given them a second glance. He’d dropped off another man, small and weasel faced who’d whistled cheerily as he’d passed them, winking at Ross. He hadn’t asked any questions and Ramona had not volunteered any answers as to their identities.

Like all venues that came alive at night, it was eerie in the daytime with motes of dust dancing in the slivers of sunlight that came through the plantation shutters on the window. Ramona led him through a concealed door at the back of the club up an ornate mahogany staircase to a large room that was clearly her office. THere was a large metal cabinet in one corner and she went to it, unlocking the combination lock and opening the doors to reveal what seemed to just be shelves stacked with files. Then she stuck her hand in and fiddled with something and there was an audible snick before the entire cabinet swung away from the wall revealing a small room behind it.

‘Holy shit.’ Ross breathed when he looked in past her. He knew about Jim’s stash at their apartment and at the playground under the warehouse, but this was on another level. He felt like he’d inadvertently stepped into a Bond film, if Bond was a gorgeous lethal woman with a predilection for shiny guns.

‘I think something in a .45.’ Ramona said, playfulness colouring her voice as she moved past the display of weapons, trailing her fingers over them. ‘Jim teach you how to use one of these?’

‘He has, but I don’t like them.’ Ross folded his arms. ‘As you’ve seen I’m much better at close quarters.’

‘We’ll save that for later.’ Ramona said. ‘The warehouse will need us to hit them hard and fast.’ She took down a gun and handled it expertly as she loaded it and then flipped it around to offer Ross the butt. ‘How does that feel?’

‘Not bad.’ Ross replied. The firearm was perfectly weighted and balanced and he had to admit the sleek matt black finish appealed to him. He looked up to see her holding out a shoulder harness to him, similar to the one Jim wore but with two holsters instead of one. ‘Dual wielding? Isn’t that kind of ridiculous?’

‘Style is important, Ross.’ Ramona admonished. ‘Why do you think I get paid so much?’

‘Oh I don’t doubt that.’ Ross replied. In addition to the guns Ramona would give him, he had his two knives - the combat knife that he’d carried since Miami and the Civilian. He took off his blazer, holding it between his knees as he shrugged into the harness and took a moment to figure out how to adjust it before taking the gun back from Ramona and sliding it into a holster, then did the same with its twin. The weapons sat along his flanks, easily retrieved and he had to admit it felt good to have them at his disposal. He wasn’t used to hunting a group of people, him and Jim usually dealing with one or two at a time.

You look good.’ Ramona grinned. ‘You ever thought about coming in with him? You’d make a good cleaner with some training and you two could make a lot of money.’

‘He thinks I’m too volatile.’ Ross smiled. ‘I can be a liability.’

‘And he needs passion in his life to remind him to live it.’ Ramona countered. ‘Andres used to give him that. I’m glad he found it again.’ She was now taking down her own weapons, using the same kind of harness to strap them over her shirt. ‘You remind me of him a little, but he wasn’t a killer. Smuggling yes, fraud absolutely. But ask him to kill someone and he would never have been able to do it. Jim needs someone who can match him.’

‘You didn’t come to the wedding.’ Ross said, watching her intently. ‘Were you invited?’ There had been plenty of business associates there. After all, it wasn’t every day that the heir to the Argento smuggling crown got married. Most of the family that Ross had met in Miami had arrives, as well as others from Europe and Asia. It had been something of a surprise to learn that Silver, Flint and Jim were able to speak Russian and Mandarin in addition to Spanish.

‘I was invited but unfortunately I was busy.’ Ramona finished with her own armaments and put on her jacket again.

‘Do I want to ask doing what exactly?’ Ross grinned, all teeth and her dark eyes sparkled with mirth.

‘Systematically poisoning the members of a a very rich family in Hong Kong.’ she replied. ‘It’s amazing what you can get away with by posing as the help and nobody in certain circles expects a Latina woman to be anything but a maid.’ She snickered. ‘It was laughably easy and I made five million dollars, one for each person I killed.’

‘Hmmm.’ Ross considered. ‘It’s very lucrative, I’ll give you that.’

‘You’d be good at it.’ Ramona repeated. ‘You’ve got this whole dumb actor thing going on that everyone buys. I think even Diego and Stef think you’re mostly harmless.’

‘That’s because I’m just Jim’s pretty piece of ass.’ Ross said. ‘It works.’

‘It’s why you’re still alive now.’ Ramona gave him a gentle shove towards the door. ‘But I need someone who’ll hold their nerve when we get in. You need to keep it under control. Once Jim is secure, then you can do what you want. I think it’ll be a rather effective message.’ Now her smile was sharp and Ross shivered. She looked every inch a killer. ‘Not that it will be appreciated by the Lopez family.’

‘We’re taking them all out?’ he asked and she nodded.

‘Every last one.’ she replied and he laughed and trotted after her.

Downstairs, the broad shouldered man was waiting for them at the back of the club with a very inconspicuous black sedan. He held the door for Ramona as she got into the driver’s seat and then came around to open Ross’ door for him. Ross nodded in acknowledgement and the man’s impassive face changed just slightly.

‘Have fun.’ His voice was pure Haiti and Ross wondered what his story was that he was here working for Ramona.

‘The usual rules apply.’ Ramona was leaning over him to speak to the man, her dark glasses on. ‘And make sure that the hospital is secure.’

The man nodded and stepped back, closing Ross’ door. Ramona started the car and did a happy little wiggle in her seat.

‘I haven’t had a field trip in ages.’ she said. ‘Let’s go have some fun.’


	5. Mission Impossible Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get Jim.

Ramona drove down between the buildings crowding the street and Ross peered out the window. This part of Havana was down near the port, the buildings all crammed into too little space and the gentrification that gave the city its allure not in evidence here. Instead, it was almost dingy, the facades all streaked with grime. 

The car stopped and Ramona leaned forward and pointed at an alley just up ahead. She’d been receiving calls as they drove, her dialect incomprehensible to Ross’ limited Spanish so he’d had no clue as to what the conversation had consisted of. 

‘There’s a warehouse down there.’ she said. ‘That’s where they’re holding Jim and also where they run out some of their gear.’ She leaned back over the centre console and grabbed the duffle that had been waiting for them on the back seat when they’d gotten in the car. 

‘So what’s the plan?’ Ross asked, deferring to her. ‘We need to get in.’

‘That will be easy.’ Ramona dumped the bag on his lap. ‘But we do need a diversion.’

‘Yeah?’ Ross raised an eyebrow at her. ‘And what kind of diversion are we talking about?’

Ramona chuckled and unzipped the bag, taking out two black cannisters. 

‘Flash bangs.’ she said. ‘We get close enough to draw someone out, they leave the door open. Then we get out the car, pull the lost tourist schtick and make a run for the door, chuck these babies in and then wait for the guys inside to get hit. The range of these is only about five feet so we need to keep clear until they go off and then we can get inside and take out whoever we need to. I’ll need you to just keep going until you find Jim and I’ll clean up.’ 

‘Got it.’ Ross said and felt his heart pick up pace, excitement making his blood rush in his ears. This was so different to what he was used to and he was more than ready to go in and get what belonged to him with a maximum of damage inflicted on those idiots that had thought he would not come to get Jim back. 

‘Okay then.’ Ramona put the car in gear and started forward slowly. ‘Let’s get this show on the road.’

************

Jim eased his eyes open, brain alert even if his appearance belied his return to consciousness. His head still hurt, but the nausea was easing and he was able to hear more distinctly than he had before. He breathed in, sorting through the odours in the warehouse and categorising them - diesel, wood dust and plastic. His captors had fallen silent, apart from two that he knew were in charge. They were at a small table, talking in hushed tones while the others were patrolling. He could hear one of them overhead, whistling softly to himself. 

It gave Jim enough time to stretch, testing his restraints. The pipe he was tied to wasn’t the most stable and he noted that and shifted position very slightly. He’d managed to stretch out the ties to give his hands more circulation and he was almost comfortable. He flexed his fingers, chasing the residual stiffness away and started thinking about how he could get out of them when he heard a low rumble. 

Jim had had a lifetime of honing his senses. Jurgis had taught him a lot about using the faculties of his mind to map out his mind. Of course he had never achieved the almost godlike level of control that Jurgis had over his mind and body, but Jim thought he did okay with the resources available to him. He hadn’t become as good as he was at what he did by being complacent and he trusted his abilities fully, which was most of the battle. 

He knew that the approaching vehicle was unexpected, judging from the tension in the shoulders of the two men at the table. The echoing footsteps above him told him that at least two of the other men were on the move, no doubt to try and get a look at who was approaching. It couldn’t be the people coming to pick him up or they would have been more welcoming. As it was, he saw one of the men taking out his weapon and checking it and that made him smile. 

The sound of footsteps coming past him was quickly followed by a kick to his side and Jim gritted his teeth against the pain.

‘He’s awake.’ The man looking down at him was older, his dark hair greying. He cradled his AK like it was a child and Jim immediately realised this was the one in charge, never mind the two that had been sitting at the table. He also realised that he hadn’t seen this man once since he’d been awake and felt a grudging admiration for him. He was obviously a professional and not just one of the mercs that the Lopez family had hired. 

The man knelt to look at him and Jim met his eyes, black and cold. There was no emotion in them, just a void. 

‘I know who you are.’ His mouth quirked. ‘Angel Oscuro.’ 

‘You’re not one of Lopez’s guys.’ Jim’s mouth was dry and his voice came out rusty. 

‘No.’ The man replied. ‘The Colluscos sent me to take care of their little problem with the Guzmans, but imagine my surprise when I found out that you were in town.’ 

‘Guess you’ve got spies everywhere.’ Jim’s mind was racing as he recalculated. Another sicario had not been factored into the calculation and he wondered just how they’d missed him. 

‘You’re not exactly discreet.’ The man tilted his head. ‘But you’re also dangerous enough for most people to step back from.’ Now there was a gleam of a gold tooth bared in a sharp smile. ‘But I’m not most people.’ 

‘Guess not.’ Jim said, still listening. ‘So I’m betting you’ve heard the vehicle that just pulled up outside.’ 

‘I did.’ The man grinned. He looked over his shoulder at the man that was approaching them and lifted his eyebrows in query. 

‘Just a couple of lost tourists.’ The man was disdainful. ‘Man and a woman. Jésus has gone to deal with them.’ 

‘Jesus Christ.’ The man got to his feet. ‘Nobody’s just a fucking tourist in this part of town.’ He glanced back down when Jim started laughing.

‘You’re in so much shit.’ he rasped gleefully. ‘You have no idea who’s coming for me.’

‘Fuck.’ The man’s face changed and he started walking quickly towards the door and that was when the front of the building exploded in brilliant white light and deafening sound. 

***********

Ross had been sceptical but he had to admit, Ramona’s deployment of artillery was genius. The front of the warehouse now had a very big cloud of white smoke obscuring it and they moved together, the debris kicked up by the stun grenade providing cover as the people inside yelled and moved to shoot blindly, gun fire filling the air and largely going all over the place due to their disorientation. He ran, his footfalls steady and quick as he pulled his weapons and started firing back. Jim had taught him well and he felt his blood sing as he moved. Just because he disliked the distance of firearms didn’t mean he hadn’t learned how to use them effectively. 

There was another burst of fire, but it went wide and Ross flattened himself against what was left of the wall. He had no idea where Ramona was, but her instructions had been to get himself in and find Jim and she would take care of the rest so that’s what he did. Two men materialised out of the dust and Ross didn’t hesitate, aiming and firing. He bared his teeth in a vicious grin when the men dropped, laughing out loud at their curses. 

There was a strangled cry to his right and he glanced over to see that Ramona was behind one of the other men, one arm around his chest and the other driving her knife deep into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Ross had no idea how she’d managed to get so close, could only assume that the men’s incompetence and the flash grenade that she’d thrown in had more than likely stunned him into panic. 

Still that meant there were only two left and Ross bolted forward, moving inside the warehouse and into the shadows. 

***********

Jim knew that he had to move fast.

The blast did nothing for his head, but it did buy him enough time to swing his body up. He made it a point to stay flexible, martial arts and yoga giving him the ease of movement that meant he could get his legs up next to the pipe. From there it was a quick maneuver to get his jeans undone and ease the Civilian out using the strap from the sheath. He flicked it open and cut through the ties in a second and was on his feet just as the sicario was getting back to his feet. He’d been almost at the front when the flash bangs had gone off and been knocked back by the force of the blast. 

Jim went low, dropping to one knee and lashing out with precision. He felt the give of the man’s gut when the Civilian sliced through clothing and flesh with ease before he twisted the blade and ripped up. The man threw out a hand, grabbing at him and getting Jim around the back of the neck but all it did was push him deeper onto Jim’s blade. He choked on it, his face contorted in rage and pain and Jim wrenched the Civilian out, blood soaking his shirt. His own disorientation did mean he wasn’t as nimble as he usually was and so when the man lashed out, he fell over backwards and landed hard on the concrete floor. He tried to scramble back, but his head had started pounding again and he listed to one side as he was overcome with dizziness. The sicario was still on his feet, hand at his hip and when he lifted it, Jim saw the gun and everything went into freefall.

*********

The last two men had retreated to the back of the warehouse behind a pile of crates and were taking pot shots at them. Ross was sitting with his back to one of their vehicles, chuckling to himself at how reminiscent it was of another time. He’d heard a man scream before it was cut off abruptly and knew that Jim was somewhere in the gloom, no doubt working his magic. 

He ran in the direction of the sound, everything else blotted out in his determination to get to JIm and that was when he saw a shape in front of him. The man was holding a gun and bent over, his other hand to his abdomen. 

In front of him, Jim was splayed on the floor, leaning heavily on one elbow. The mere sight of him in immediate danger was enough to have Ross stride right over, too quick to think as he lifted his own weapons and blew the back of the man’s head off. He stood and watched as the man crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsing into a heap on the floor. He gave him a nudge with his foot, holstering his guns and then moved across to Jim, falling to his knees and gathering him up in his arms, pulling him close.

‘Hey baby.’ He he murmured it so that it didn’t carry. ‘You still alive?’ 

There was silence for a while and then Jim huffed a soft laugh. 

‘You crazy wanker.’ His voice was rough, like he’d been drinking for days and was still recovering. His blue-green eyes were hazy and he was clearly having trouble focusing. ‘I knew you’d come get me.’ He tried to sit up and Ross shushed him.

‘Stop moving.’ He shifted so he could drag Jim across his lap. ‘You hurt?’

‘Just a bang on the head and one hell of a case of whiplash.’ Jim slurred. ‘My dad…?’

‘He’s okay.’ Ross told him. ‘Him and Flint are in the hospital and awake. Diego is touch and go though. They sent someone to the hotel to get me and the others.’

‘But you took him out.’ JIm’s smile was proud. 

‘How did you know?’ Ross asked and Jim patted his face blindly, accidentally knocking him in the nose. 

‘You wouldn’t be here otherwise.’ He frowned, gold brows pinched. ‘Who’s with you?’

‘I am.’ Ramona came out of the gloom, looking just as immaculate as she had going in. ‘And we need to get the hell out of here.’ She regarded the now dead man at her feet and snorted. ‘Guess they sent the Collusco man earlier than we thought.’

‘He’s one of us.’ Jim told her, wincing as Ross started to lift him up. ‘Fuck, I feel like shit.’ 

‘Get him to the car.’ Ramona said. ‘I’ll catch up with you.’ 

Ross got Jim under the knees and back, lifting him easily into his arms and Jim snickered.

‘Wedding night all over again.’ he said and Ross snorted. 

‘Except the other way around.’ He hefted Jim in his arms, surprisingly heavy and belying his appearance. ‘Jesus fuck, remind me to put you on a diet.’ 

‘Mmmm.’ Jim was nuzzling his cheek now, plaint and clearly suffering from concussion if Ross was any judge. ‘My big strong man carrying me to safety.’ His breath wafted warm against Ross’ cheek. ‘And I love the duel wielding thing. It’s fucking hot. I’d jump you if I wasn’t almost passed out.’ 

‘Ramona’s idea.’ Ross snorted. ‘I’ll still take a knife any day.’

‘Shit.’ Now Jim pulled back, eyes wide and disconsolate like a small child. ‘I left it behind.’

‘No, you didn’t.’ Ramona had caught up with them. She took a moment to tuck the Civilian into Jim’s pocket. ‘All safe.’ She moved past to the car. ‘Come on, I’ve set a bunch of shit on fire so we need to get away.’ 

They wedged Jim into the back of the car and got in, Ross barely getting settled before Ramona was peeling out into the street behind and speeding down the road back to the city. 

‘So what’s next?’ Ross asked. ‘You said this was only the first part.’ 

‘We’re going to do the job tonight.’ Ramona said, handling the car like an F1 driver as she cheerily disobeyed speed limits. ‘This won’t get back until someone comes looking for them so it should be at least a couple of hours. We can make the Lopez compound in three.’ She gave Ross a sidelong smile. ‘Feel like a road trip?’

‘Sure.’ Ross looked over the seat at JIm. ‘You okay with that, baby?’

‘You bring my shit?’ Jim asked and Ross nodded. ‘I can probably still cover your asses but I’m not going to be any good for wet work.’

‘That’s fine.’ Ramona assured him. ‘Ross is very good at taking direction.’ 

‘Yeah, he is.’ The proud look was back and Ross’ stomach filled with butterflies. He never got tired of that feeling when Jim praised him. ‘WE going to your place?’

‘Yes.’ Ramona replied. ‘Ross, call Stef and tell her we’ve got Jim. That will make your dads very happy.’ 

Ross did as she asked, waiting for the call to be answered. When he heard Estefania’s voice, he sighed in relief. 

***********

Silver was drifting when Estefania came into the room, her entire demeanour changed. 

‘They’ve got him.’ she said and Silver let out a hugely relieved breath. 

‘Are they coming here?’ and Estefania’s mouth quirked. 

‘What do you think?’ she replied and Flint snorted from the other bed. 

‘I think there’s going to be hell to pay.’ he said and Silver chuckled, wincing at the pain. 

‘Guess we’ll find out soon enough.’ he said and closed his eyes.

************

Ramona’s place turned out to be a sprawling colonial mansion about an hour to the south of Cuba. It was a lofty colonial building set in lush gardens on the coast and Ross stared as they pulled up outside. 

‘It’s not exactly discreet.’ he said and Ramona laughed. 

‘I make enough money to be ignored.’ she stated, waving at a tall muscular man in jeans that was coming out the front door. ‘We’ll get Jim inside and have Yiandro have a look at him.’

‘Jesus Christ.’ Jim muttered from the back seat. ‘You’re still together?’ He snickered. ‘I’m amazed that you haven’t killed each other yet.’

‘Shut up, Jimmy.’ Ramona said amiably as she opened her door and took the hand the man offered. He kissed her as she got out and then leaned in and grinned at Jim. He was green eyed and dark haired, silver shot through his beard and Ross couldn’t help noticing that he looked younger than Ramona and was the kind of devastatingly handsome usually associated with film stars. 

‘Hola, Jim.’ He was smiling and even his bunny teeth contributed to his looks. ‘What the fuck happened to you?’ To Ross’ surprise, he had a very clear Californian accent. 

‘Fucking Lopez assholes.’ Jim grumbled and kicked against the door. ‘You mind helping me get out?’

‘Sure thing.’ Yiandro opened the door and leaned in, casting critical eyes over him. ‘How come I only ever see you when Ramona needs me to patch you up?’

‘Because you’re usually off saving lives in far flung places.’ Jim replied and then waved a hand at Ross. ‘This is my husband, Ross.’

‘Nice to meet you.’ Yiandro said and gave Ross a quick handshake over the seat before reaching in. Ross watched how his muscled forearms flexed against the folded sleeves of his blue cotton shirt and raised his eyebrows at Jim, getting a grin back. 

‘I know.’ he said, clearly enjoying being manhandled out the car. ‘He is tragically straight though.’

Yiandro laughed, nose crinkling. He got Jim on his feet and cupped his face, peering into his eyes. 

‘You, my friend, have a head injury.’ he said and Jim sighed. 

‘I fucking know.’ he grumbled. ‘Happens when your car gets rolled.’ 

Ross got out and came around to stand next to him, taking Jim’s hand and interlocking their fingers. 

‘Is he going to be okay?’ he asked and Yiandro tilted his head. 

‘Probably.’ he replied. ‘As okay as Jim gets.’ He took one arm and slung it over a pair of impossibly broad shoulders. ‘But when we get him inside I can do a full assessment.’ 

‘Yiandro’s with Medicin San Frontieres.' Jim explained. ‘That’s how he and Ramona met.’ 

‘Really?’ Ross was surprised. ‘I wouldn’t have thought a doctor would be all that happy with what Ramona does for a living.’ 

‘Trust me, I’ve seen enough consequences of the actions of evil men to be completely okay with what she does.’ Yiandro said. He helped Ross get Jim up the stairs and into the house. The entry hall was starkly beautiful, the crumbling glory of the mansion evident in the faded paintwork and intricate wooden staircase. A massive black Alsatian padded in from a room to the left and woofed softly at the interlopers. Yiandro shushed him and grinned. 

‘See, Zero thinks you’ve been away too long too.’ he said and the dog came over to insinuate his nose under Jim’s shirt at the front. 

‘Zero’s a needy asshole.’ Jim replied but his eyes were soft in the way they always went when confronted with dogs. 

‘In here.’ Ramona came out of the same room. ‘I’ve got Feliz making up a room for you two for tonight. Jim can sleep a while and then we’ll take off at around midnight.’ 

‘Do I even want to know?’ Yiandro asked and she shook her head, guiding them into the room. It was a sitting room, heavy teak furniture featuring heavily along with what looked like some very pricy artwork. They laid Jim on the nearest couch and Yiandro took a small flashlight from his pocket and started checking him over. Ramona moved to stand next to Ross, one hand resting lightly on his arm. 

‘He’s got a thick head.’ she said. ‘He’ll be fine. You and I need to go over what we’ll be doing tonight.’ Ross nodded and moved to follow her, grinning when he heard Jim flirting with Yiandro in what seemed like an established routine. 

‘That’s one hell of a looker you caught yourself.’ he said and Ramona gave him a toothy grin. 

‘Oh, I know.’ she smirked. 

***********

Jim closed his eyes and then opened them, the beam of Yiandro’s flashlight making him wince. 

‘Will I live?’ he asked and Yiandro nodded. 

‘Hopefully.’ He glanced over his shoulder then gave Jim a knowing look. ‘He’s cute as hell.’

‘Yeah.’ Jim knew he had a stupidly smitten smile on his face. ‘And I think his ass might even be nicer than yours.’

‘Blasphemy.’ Yiandro laughed. He sat back on his heels. ‘You’re not going to be any good to them tonight.’

‘I’m staying behind the lines.’ Jim replied. ‘My dad and Flint are in the hospital.’ 

‘Fuck.’ Yiandro stood up. ‘That blows, man. I’m gonna go grab you some Tylenol. You stay there.’ He whistled and Zero trotted over and sat down next to the couch, his head resting on Jim’s hand. ‘He’ll eat you if you don’t.’ 

Jim chuckled and leaned back, letting go and feeling all the aches and pains that he’d been ignoring. 

‘Maybe make it something stronger.’ he called after Yiandro and heard the soft laugh echoing back at him. 

‘Next time, don’t be a dick and tangle with a car.’ he called back and Jim laughed. 

‘You got it, Doc.’ He closed his eyes again, feeling incredibly tired as the adrenaline started to wear off. Zero whined softly and licked his hand and Jim buried his fingers in the Alsatian’s thick ruff. 

‘I know, puppy.’ he said. ‘It’s been one hell of a day.’


End file.
